Page 46 of The Scandal You Started
It meant that at some point in the evening, while Declan, Victor, Winnie, and Rayna chatted around the dining table,Dominic found himself sitting between Benedict and George on a sofa.
“There,” Benedict said, handing Dominic back his smart mobile phone. “Now you can watch endless videos of mindless modern entertainment. You just scroll like this.” Benedict swiped up on the screen, and a video of a ginger cat chasing its tail started playing.
“It doesn’t seem like a good idea to put him on social media yet,” George said, taking a sip from the aluminium can in his hand.
Benedict waved him off. “He needs exposure to modern culture to fit in, and this is the best way he’s going to get it.”
“He’s going to see something inappropriate and be traumatised.”
“No, he won’t,” Benedict said. “Dominic, you’ve had your internet safety talk, right?”
Dominic nodded. “Yes. After River showed me how to use the phone, he spoke of passwords, internet scams, and…” He faded off as his eyes darted to the two women in the room. He lowered his voice, a faint heat touching his cheeks. “Andporn.”
Dominic had seen his fair share of inappropriate drawings as an adolescent that he and his friends lusted over once women became objects of desire. He’d even attended a clandestine ball once as an adult, held by a duke who enjoyed tupping multiple prostitutes in front of an audience, where Dominic discovered he didn’t at all like watching.
But none of that could have prepared him for the flood of shocked embarrassment he felt when River explained to him what porn was. Not even his usual curiosity could have convinced him to search up such scandalous websites, let alone actually watch it.
A massive grin burst onto Benedict’s face. “See, he knows already. He’ll be fine.”
George shook his head in disapproval. “Rayna’s gonna be pissed. And I’m gonna blame you.”
“That’s why Dominic isn’t going to tell her until they’re back in their own house.” Benedict nudged Dominic’s arm with his elbow. “Right?”
Rather than answering, Dominic’s gaze slid past the grinning man to Rayna as she laughed at what had been said along with Declan. Winnie threw her hands around in animated chatter, which made Rayna laugh delightfully louder, and she flopped into Victor’s side. The spectacled man smiled softly, then planted his lips to her hair in a quick, loving kiss.
Dominic immediately faced George, unable to hold the question in any longer. “What is your relation to Victor and Rayna?”
Caught off guard, George’s brows lifted as he lowered the can from his mouth. “What do you mean? Didn’t Rayna tell you? We’re family.”
“Yes. That is what she said. But how? You do not look anything alike.”
“Oh. We’re adopted. Victor’s our adoptive dad.”
“Adopted?” Dominic echoed.
“As in, in the eyes of the law, he’s their parent,” Benedict clarified. “Their guardian. Legally speaking.”
Dominic narrowed his eyes in consideration.
So Victor had created a legal document to make Rayna and George his children?
He stilled.
Wait. They were his children…Victor was Rayna’s father?
Oh…Oh.
Cold realisation trickled through Dominic’s blood.
He’s her father.
That realisation quickly solidified into dread as he dared to glance at the man.
Fuck.Shit.
Bloody woods, no wonder the man hated him.
Dominic scowled at Rayna as he lay atop her bedding later that night, back in their own farmhouse. She tapped on her mobile phone, oblivious to his foul mood.
